Steering committees can unblock or bog down a program. After chairing dozens, here’s how I decide when to stand one up and how I keep it productive.
Signs you need a steering committee
- Cross-functional dependencies with real trade-offs (finance, ops, tech).
- Funding decisions tied to milestones; risk tolerance differs by stakeholder.
- Regulators or auditors require formal oversight.
- Decisions are slow because no single leader owns the outcome.
How I form it
- Chair: accountable sponsor with authority to say “yes/no.”
- Membership: decision-makers, not delegates; limit to 6–8.
- Cadence: biweekly at first, monthly once stable.
- Charter: scope, decision rights, quorum, escalation paths, and RACI.
What’s on the agenda
- Top 5 risks/issues with owner and ask (decision, funding, policy).
- Milestone forecast vs. baseline; trend, not just status.
- Changes to scope/schedule/cost; approvals recorded in a decision log.
- Dependencies and readiness for upcoming gates.
How I keep it effective
- Pre-read 48 hours before; meetings are for decisions, not updates.
- Track decision cycle time; escalate stuck items to the chair.
- Rotate deep dives: one area each meeting (e.g., data, change management).
- Sunset committees that no longer add value; move to quarterly reviews.
Used well, a steering committee protects delivery by making trade-offs explicit. Used poorly, it’s another meeting. Be deliberate about the first—and last—session.